Nara Good Luck Charm
by italianmagician
Summary: When Nara Shikamaru finds a Jane Doe child in the middle of nowhere on a mission, he never dreams of the luck she would bring him in the world. What can he do? It's not like he can keep her forever. Or can he? The things a tsubaki can do. T for safety.
1. Prologue

_The pale, black-haired man, probably in his mid to late twenties, stopped in shock. Another man, older, stopped next to him, with two more chuunins shortly following. The area in front of them was a disaster zone, with figures of injured, dead, or unconscious people strewn everywhere, trees torn up, rocks blown out of the ground, kunai and shurikens everywhere , and moans of the conscious injured. "No way," the first breathed. "What did this? I know Naruto said it was bad, but Yoni won't be able to deal with this! There's too many!"_

_The second sighed. "I guess I get no chakra for a while." He jumped down from the tree branch, did __a few seals, slammed his palm to the ground, and shouted, "_**Mokuzai hatsubai-bi: Yon-hashira ki no ie!**" (trans: Wood Release: Four Pillar Wood House!) _A giant wood dojo-style house with the Konohagakure symbol thrust itself up from the ground. "I suppose this should work, at least for a while," he panted. "Sweet Senju, that takes a lot of chakra. Your play from here on for a while, Sai." _

_The newly identified Sai nodded, then pulled out a bottle of ink and a scroll. He wrote something on the scroll, and then muttered something. The ink came off the paper, and the letters took on the form of a bird. The ink-bird flapped its wings for a few moments, __gaining height, then picked a direction and flew away. Sai then leaned over the scroll again, drawing something quickly, then formed a seal and hissed, "_**Shinobu geijutsu ga: Chō shishi makimono!**" (trans: Ninja Art: Super Beast Scroll!) _Various animals ranging from rats and snakes to lions and eagles burst off of the scroll, bounding off into the wasteland. _

_One of the chuunins sat down in the corner between a branch and the trunk of a tree, slumped as if unconscious, and the other jumped down from the tree, forming a seal as she did, then green chakra enveloping her gloved hands. "Ready for survivors, Sai-taichou."_

_Sai nodded. "If you see a lion, they found one. Same for an eagle. A rat or snake will tell us where one is, if we can't move them, or if they're dead."_

_The chuunin in the tree raised his head. "Sir! I found a Kage-jutsu! She's really young, but she can move! Do you want me to bring her here?" _

_The captain nodded. "If she can make it all the way. Tell me of any enemies you see, and especially injured Kekkei genkai Found ones." He narrowed his eyes. _**Sakura, we could use you or Sakate and your abilities. You'd never believe this destruction. Naruto, why didn't you send more teams?**


	2. Another Mission!

**A/N: Hey, so hopefully you all read the description and that, right? Ok. So this takes place after Jiraya's death and in the future, roughly 13 years after Naruto defeats Pein in Shippuuden, roughtly twelve years since Sarutobi Asuma's death. It has hardly anything to do with Naruto, but he will be semi-important. No, it's mostly about Shikamaru. ^.^ Shikamaru has become a Jonin and moved out from his parent's house. He's about 28-29. But not married, haha. He is the team leader of Yuuhi Asumite, Uzumaki Kushina (NaruHina daughter in my world)**, **and Sekate(SaiSaku son, also in my world.). Anyway, enjoy! **

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"Shikamaru," Naruto called. "Get your team and come here."

"Sure, Naruto. Be there as soon as I can," Nara Shikamaru said. "Geez, what a drag. Gets to be Hokage and suddenly thinks he's all that." Quietly, he walked away, heading for the Yuuhi's home. He smiled. Asumite really had grown up in the twelve years since Asuma-sensei had died. _She looks so much like you, S__ensei,_ he thought. _You should be proud. She has the Will of Fire._

"Shikamaru-sensei!" Surprised, Shikamaru looked up. Barreling down the street at a pace to match Lee's, Asumite herself was calling his name. "Guess what!"

He braced himself. Even when she meant to be gentle, Asumite had a killer hug, and was oblivious to it. With a grunt, he still ended up lying on the ground with Asumite on top of him, blushing while trying to stand up and brush herself off. "No telling, you troublesome kid," He said, unable to mask amusement in his voice. "You know, we oughta just send you at the enemy to give them hugs, they'll never make it."

Asumite's red eyes scrunched up and her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "Then maybe I won't tell you the good news."

Shikamaru couldn't help laughing. "You're worse than Naruto when he became a genin! Come on, what is it?"

Her pretty features instantly cleared, and she once again looked like a reincarnation of Asuma, only female. Her short black hair was tied up with a red ribbon, and her forehead protector was lopsided, like always. She had gotten Asuma's 12 Shinobi Guardians sash, and now wore it as a belt around her waist. Her Chakra was Wind Element, and her mentor was Naruto himself. She was in the process of learning the Rasengan. Recently she had taken the Chuunin exams. She had made it to the final round, but lost to Kiba Inuzuka's son and his dog, Aoimaka. Most likely, the good news was that she had made it to being a chuunin. Granted, he knew she made it, but it's not like she knew that. She would be excited about that. A chuunin at 11. That was younger than both her parents, and she had graduated the academy at seven, also younger than her parents.

"Mom says that I almost made a perfect genjutsu! Isn't that awesome?" she beamed. "I bet I could almost get you stuck in one!" She bounced around while she talked, very excited.

"Good job, but you'll never stick me in one, kiddo. I'd have to be out of Chakra, because I'm just that much cooler than you. Anyways, do you know where your teammates are? Nanadaime wants us." _The troublesome guy he is. I was hoping to play some Shogi before we had another mission._

"Yup! I can get them, and you can go get some mackerel and miso! I know you like it, sensei!" she chirped happily. It was truly incredible, her enthusiasm. She did things without hesitation and never doubted her own judgment. It exhausted Shikamaru just to think of it.

"Alright, just make sure you take long enough to let me finish a bowl. We'll meet by Ichiraku's, got it? At about 10:00. You have twenty minutes," he yawned. "Don't be early. Go buy some shurikens if that's what you have to do to give me time."

"Haaaaaiii!"

He couldn't help it. Shikamaru laughed, a true laugh from the heart, as he walked away in the direction of Ichiraku's to grab some mackerel with miso. He might even grab some sukonbu, while he was at it. He might see Choji at the stall where he would buy it. He sighed, and shoved his hands in his pocket, still walking along. _Seriously, I need to get some time to rebuild my chakra, Naruto. I'm so low I'm thinking about food and tempted by it. Geez._ _I would even settle for some hard-boiled eggs. God, I need a vacation. _

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_**Did you like it? I hope you did, and please review!**_ T~T  
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	3. Strangers' Kekkei Genkai

Shikamaru glanced at the clock on the wall in the Ichiraku's. _Nineteen minutes since. 60 seconds. Fifty-nine, fifty-eight-fifty-seven…_ "Hey, here's the money. Thanks for the ramen, sir." Shikamaru stood up. _Fifty, forty-nine, forty-eight…_ He pushed in the chair and sighed. Another mission. They seemed nonstop lately. _Forty-two, forty-one, forty…_ He turned around and walked outside the store, then across the way to the building in the shade. _Thirty-three, thirty-two…_ Asumite was always precisely on time, to the second. She also managed not to come in panting. The other two were usually with her when they were informed by Asumite. On their own, though, they were prone to be late. _Twenty, nineteen, eighteen…_ Casually, Shikamaru reached back and opened his kunai holder. Generally, the trio were troublesome enough to plan some sort of surprise attack whenever he ended up waiting. _Ten, nine, eight…_ He picked one that he knew was crafted of chakra-conducting metal, like Asuma's chakra blades. _Three, two, one…_Time seemed to slow down, and he knew that this was an effect of Asumite's attempt at putting him under a genjutsu. _Zero!_

Immediately, he put his hands together, gathered chakra, and dispersed the genjutsu. He did this fast enough to get a glimpse of Kushina charging at him from the front, Asumite on his right, and Sakate on his left. He gathered chkra in his feet and jumped. Above him, he knew, was a small ledge that he could stand on, but nobody else. He caught it, then pushed off from the wall, heading toward the Hokage's building. He knew without doubt that they would follow them to it, oblivious to surroundings, unless for some incredible reason, their teachers had taught them to pay attention to surroundings. He'd tried, but they never did.

He was right. They followed him like bugs and light. Heh. Shino would have liked that one.

In no time, they were outside the Hokage's building, the genins and chuunin-to-be panting. He smirked. They'd never learn. "You kids are so oblivious. Did you notice we're already at the Hokage's office? Didn't think so. You guys need to stop trying to ambush me, you'll never manage it. And how are you going to be good in your mission if you're tired out?"

"Sorry, sensei." It was Sakate, Haruno Sakura and Sai's son. He was really the quiet one, but he was skilled in medical jutsus and still in reconnaissance. He also had incredible taijutsu power, as well. He wasn't able to make it past the preliminaries for the third test in the Chuunin Exams. But he did do well. He was Asumite's backup in any argument she appeared to be losing, and observed things the most.

"Me, too, sensei. I wasn't thinking. It was Asumite's idea!" Kushina giggled and jabbed her thumb at Asumite. Uzumaki Kushina barely made it past any exams; she seemed to have the same philosophy as Naruto about studying: Avoid it whenever possible, follow your Ninja Way and it'll take you wherever you need to go. She was Asumite's best friend. She and Sakate had only made it this far on luck, they were younger than Asumite, true, but just as smart. All three had done I.Q. tests in the form of games and gotten similar scores: about 180s to 190s. He now realized that Asuma had done the same to him, and he couldn't help being amused by it. A tricky man, pity he hadn't done more tricks on him.

Asumite was grinning. "I'll catch you in one, one of these days, I promise! You won't evade me forever, Shikamaru-sensei!" She laughed, then danced her way over to the stairs. "Come on, are we getting our mission or what?"

It didn't take a genius to know that Asumite had been talking about genjutsus, but nevertheless, he said, "I have no clue what you're talking about, you little troublemaker." He smiled, then leaned down and ruffled Asumite's hair. He turned around to look at Sakate and Kushina, to see them laughing quietly at the pair. "And you two! Don't get me started! Just because her idea sounds great, it doesn't mean it really is! Don't be dragged into them all the time, or you might just end up tied to the trees-or worse."

Their snorts of laughter died out almost instantly. "Okay, sorry, sensei." They choroused.

_They didn't listen__. Little troublemaking genins. _"Okay!Ready?"

"Ready!"

"Yeah!"

"Let's go already!"

"GO!" He shouted, then ran up the stairs. _That'll teach them to run out of chakra._

Just as he thought it, Sakate passed him. "_I'm_ not out of chakra, sensei!"

_Damn. _ Sakate, himself, Asamite, and Kushina, in order, reached Naruto's office.

"You four are so slow. I would have been here ten minutes ago. But that's me. Shikamaru wanted a nap, huh?" Naruto's joking voice carried out the door into the hall. "Come on in, slowpokes!"

_Damn that Naruto. So cocky._ "Yeah, no. I had food. Got an issue? I had Ichiraku's without you. Jealous? I think so. What mission is taking up my time today?"

"Ha-ha. Funny. Actually, it's a higher rank mission. Lost, stranded, identityless people have been appearing all over the Land of Fire. Mostly girls. Most are dead. One or two still live, but rarely for more than a month after we find them. I thought that you'd rather just have to be looking for living people rather than fighting, lazy as you are." He paused, as if debating whether to say something or not. His face suddenly took on a look of resolution. "Most have Kekkei Genkai."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. Kushina widened hers in shock, and Asumite and Sakate cocked their heads in confusion. Shikamaru knew they were about to ask, so he held up his hand as a warning. They saw, and nodded. "Like what kind of Kekkei Genkai?"

"Some less common ones, and a few powerful ones. A Sharingan, a Byakugan, a Mind Transfer…And a Shadow Bind."

Shikamaru was shocked. "Damn straight I want this mission."

Naruto nodded. "I thought so."

"When do you want us to leave?"

"Get your stuff together, and be ready to leave as soon as we hear word of another site that they're there."

"Okay." _A Shadow Bind kekkei genkai…How is that possible? And a Sharingan? Even the Byakugan. That takes a lot to get a head branch member. _

"You're dismissed, but I want to talk to you, Shikamaru."

Shikamaru nodded. Sakate and Asumite nodded and turned to go, but Kushina waited. Naruto glanced at her for a moment, and nodded. Seeming satisfied, she turned around, and then paused. She reached into her pocket, then took her hand out and placed a small envelope on his desk. He smiled. Then Kushina dashed out of the room to catch up with her friends.

Shikamaru relaxed. "What a drag. Do you know how the people got the kekkei genkai, anyways?"

"No. We don't know. And it concerns me. Hinata says that no Hyuugas have disappeared lately, let alone head family members. The Uchihas…Sasuke's the only one we don't know about. Madara and Itachi are dead, at the hands of Sasuke himself. We presume he's alive. The Yamanakas say it's impossible to copy their precise technique. But that's what it is. It's an A-rank recon and recovery mission. Information is vital, too. If you get any Jane Does, you _must_ bring them here as soon as possible. And any major kekkei genkais you find, like Byakugan, Sharingan, Mind Transfer, or Shadow Bind, _bring them too._ We must assume that a force more powerful than an entire village is the one doing this, and is a very high danger."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"No, and you should probably get home and pack. I have a feeling it won't be long. Get your chakra back."

Shikamaru found himself looking away. "I hate the fact you can tell how much chakra we have."

Naruto laughed. "Me, too. I knew when Kekkashi was dead in the Pein attack. And then he came back. That was so confusing."

"I could never imagine."

"No kidding."

Shikamaru turned and left without another word. He really wasn't sure where he was going, but he soon found himself in the Sarutobi Clan's cemetery, at Asuma's grave. He pulled out the lighter. It wasn't silver anymore. It was rubbing off, and was now a dull gray. He lit a cigarette, like he had so many times since Asuma died, and placed it on his grave. He noted the poppies on the grave. _Comfort,_ he thought, _is nice to have. I wish I had a bit more hope and comfort. __Asuma, what's going on? Kekkei genkai showing up on people not of their respective clans…None missing from the clans…Even a Shadow Bind technique…Do you know? _


	4. Genjutsu, Or Not?

**A/N: Yeah, I really need to be more descriptive, huh? This one's kind of boring, sorry, but I decided I need to delay them a bit. I think it's kind of lame.**

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It turned out that the team didn't have to wait long at all. The next day, a messenger bird – From Sai, so it was made out of ink—came to Naruto, and it carried details. It stated that the ANBU team that had been deployed for tracking had found several people with Kekkei Genkais. They would use Yamato's Wood Release jutsus to make a shelter for keeping the ones recovered. He mentioned that there weren't as many Byakugans and Mind Transfers as before, and no Sharingans so far, and the same for the Kagemane jutsus. He said that no enemies had been discovered or had any traces of whatever had left the Found Ones, as they were coming to be called in the ninja system. A few teams for recovery would be appreciated, he said. Nothing else was said or distributed.

It was decided that the major families with the Kekkei Genkais found in the people would have one representative go to get the people to bring them back and find out how they were stolen, because that's what must have happened. So in the end, it was Hyuuga Neji's, Yamanaka Ino's, and Nara Shikamaru's teams who would go to get them, and Shikamaru's would also get the Sharingans, as unlikely as they would be. This was really an A-rank mission, provided nothing went wrong. They were lucky to get this mission, really, considering that it consisting of two genins and one in between, in the process of switching to chuunin. The Nara heir's team had been deemed skilled enough, which was good. It meant that he had a really talented team, given the members.

Kushina, Sakate, and Asumite were waiting for him at the east gate of Konohagakure, Kushina's blue hair waving back and forth as she shifted her weight anxiously from foot to foot, Sakate pulling his gloves on, a grimace on his pale face, Asumite simply waiting, leaning on the gate, her hands shoved in her pockets, the Twelve Guardian Shinobi sash tied around her waist gently moving as she tapped her finger to some unheard tune. Her red eyes were closed, and she had put on some eyeliner and lipstick to enhance her genjutsu, like her mother. Shikamaru smiled a tiny smile, to himself. "Do I owe you guys some barbeque again?"

Sakate looked up, startled. "I didn't hear you coming, sensei! You really _are_ like a shadow today!" He looked around, bit his lip and shrugged.

Kushina stopped abruptly. "Are we counting the other teams? Are we even meeting them here? Because Uncle Neji usually isn't late." She tilted her head, remarkably like a dog's. "Are we just early?"

Asumite kept her eyes closed, but said, "Yeah, Kushina, we're early. That's as likely sensei saying no to a nap or a game of shogi. They aren't meeting us here, they're meeting us there."

Shikamaru paused, surprised. "You're perceptive today. And I resent that, I know when to say no to a nap!" But then he shrugged. _I guess I should have told them to travel with us. _"Neji and Ino's teams aren't traveling with us, you're right. And so I guess that it's whoever gets there first! Are you ready?"

Sakate bit his lip. "I've been thinking about this. It's not just a little mission, is it? I mean, we're recovering mystery persons with kekkei genkai, which Mom told me is technique only a specific clan can have, like Neji-sensei and Kushina have the Byakugan and your Kagemane jutsus, and _nobody knows who they are_. Nobody's missing anyone from a clan, we don't know how they have these jutsus, who's doing it, or if they're dangerous. Shouldn't this be and A- or S- rank?" As he was talking, he was looking away, as if he didn't want to question, but, the Nara had to admit, it was smart of him to ask.

He walked over to the bright young man, put his hand on the child's head, and looked at him. "Yes, Sakate. It's an A-class mission, but you know something?"

The shy dark pink haired boy looked up. "What?"

"You three are the most skilled genin I know, and you know, I admire you guys for it. I know you can deal with this. You could take on Naruto _and _Gaara, the Kazekage. Granted, you'd still lose against them, but you'd last a good long time. So far, no bandits or enemies at all have been found, not even a trace, and none have been proven dangerous. And if worse comes to worst, I'll put my neck in the guillotine to save yours. Got it? You'll be fine. Think of it as a recovery mission with more at stake, as a recovery with your families on the line. Not just finding a cat with barbeque at the end. This is life or death. But you'll be fine— You have the Will of Fire." When Shikamaru finished, Sakate had determination in his eyes. He tensed, ready to go.

"Thank you, sensei. That makes me feel so much better about this."

"That better not be sarcasm, Sakate." Shikamaru removed his hand from the boy's head and straightened up. "Are you girls ready, too, or do you need a pep talk as well?"

Kushina nodded. "Ready!" She looked at Asumite expectantly.

Asumite was still leaning against the gate. She had been listening intently, hearing the emotion in Shikamaru's voice. She slowly straightened up. Then suddenly, she snapped open her eyes. They were that incredible scarlet, and Shikamaru was surprised—they had maroon mixed in now. Her eyes were a whirlpool of scarlet and dark maroon, and it was hypnotizing. He couldn't break away from her gaze. _Is this a genjutsu? __Her eyes…What's happening, Asuma?_ He thought, panicked. He couldn't move. _Tsukiyomi? Will I be stuck here for days, and then I'll come back, and everything will be the same as it was, only a few moments later? Help me, Asuma!_ The world was falling away. He felt himself go limp. He fell to his knees. "What's…going…on?" he choked out. "Asumite?" He didn't have the energy to break the jutsu. Not enough chakra. He heard shouting, but couldn't hang on. The world went black.

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Shikamaru shot up in bed, panting and gasping for air. He flopped down again. _Oh my god, that was a dream?_ He squeezed his eyes shut. It had felt so real. But just to make sure, he opened one eye. He looked around for a moment like that, and then both eyes were open, glued to the wall. The color of the walls was the precise color of Asumite's eyes—scarlet and dark maroon. He decided then and there that he was going to repaint the walls as soon as possible. He shuddered. _Was that a dream? Is this a genjutsu? _He thought for a moment, then looked to see if he was wearing his Shinobi uniform. Surely she wouldn't know what his pajamas looked like. He rather hoped that it had just been a nightmare, and he had just woken up. He took a deep breath. Shinobi uniform. She'd caught him in a genjutsu. "Asumite, you're really troublesome. He put his hands together in the Tiger Seal, and then dispelled the genjutsu—or so he thought. For a split second. Then he saw that he was at the Nara Deer Ranch. "I definitely wasn't here." Again, he dispelled the genjutsu.

Suddenly, he was on his knees, coughing. Someone had their hand on his back and his shoulder. "Shikamaru! Are you alright? I was coming with my team, and suddenly you went down! What happened to you?" It was Ino, then, with her team. They must have been just coming to leave. Leave it to Ino to attempt to meet up with him by 'accident'.

"How long has it been?" he managed to get out between coughs. He looked up, looking for Asumite. She was gone, with Kushina and Sakate. "Where's my team?"

Ino sounded confused. "I guess they aren't here yet, Shika, because nobody was here when you went down. And it's been about ten minutes, I guess."

Shikamaru looked at her, shocked. "No! They were there! They had to have been! We were about to leave, and then Asumite…" He broke off into another coughing fit. _Why am I coughing? Was I under a genjutsu the whole time? _

"Shikamaru…Do you have any chakra?"

_Damn it. _"I don't think so, Ino. I think I used all of what little I had breaking genjutsus."

"Genjutsus? From who?"

"I think…Asumite."

"Why did she put you under a genjutsu? Was there something wrong?" Ino asked. "What kind of genjutsu was it?"

"Ino, you know, you can be worse than your dad, more persistent when it comes to interrogation." Shikamaru growled.

"Well, I could just use my Mind Possession jutsu to find out, if you'd prefer it."

"You'd actually probably have more luck, actually." He coughed again. "What's up with this coughing? Did you see, Ino?" Her teammates behind her were silent through the whole time, or else they just weren't there. "Where's your team?"

"Oh, I sent them to go get someone to help. You went down so fast, I thought something was really wrong. Shikamaru, you can't go on a mission for a while. You had a needle in the back of your neck, you're out of chakra, and you can't stop coughing. Your mission'll have to be postponed for at least a week. My orders as a medic-nin." Ino said.

"Fine with me."

Ino pulled Shikamaru up, put his arm around her shoulder, and let him lean on her as she walked him to the hospital. He didn't really remember much of it. He only knew that she asked about the genjutsus, about what happened and where they were. He knew he replied, but not what. After he was checked in and in his hospital room, where they were inspecting the needle—turns out Ino had kept it for that purpose- that was embedded in the back of his neck and making up some medicine for one thing or another, he asked Ino to tell his team that their mission was postponed. He told her to have a team mate with her, however, in case she tried to cast another genjutsu. She promised, and then some sedative was pumped through his system through some I.V. that he hadn't noticed stuck in his arm. As things went fuzzy, he was dimly aware of three small figures yelling and trying to get to him but being blocked by medical ninjas. Eventually he fell asleep. _Oh, thank god… Sleep. Maybe I'll actually stay asleep and not be in a genjutsu this time._

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_**A.N: I told you it's boring! Please review and give constructive critism, dattebayo!**

**~Tsubaki  
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	5. Awakening

**A/N: Hey, sorry it took longer to do this one, but I was sick and busy, lost on the road of life, but it's longer, so I hope that makes up for it!**

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Shikamaru woke up tired, hurting, but alive and refreshed. He was alone in the hospital room, he knew, so he just lay there. He listened to footsteps in the halls, the buzzing of the lights, the quiet murmuring of other patients and employees, the fly in the corner of the room –_Oh Shino, want a bug?—_and the beeping of the heart monitor. He became aware of a stinging in the back of his neck and the bandage on it, the lack of weight on his chest because his Shinobi jacket wasn't on, the mask on his face—_For what? Was I having trouble breathing? __-_ And the I.V. needle stuck in his arm. _Lovely. A needle is injecting drugs into my arm. _ He started to feel as if he was swaying, as if on a hammock, or, god forbid, on a boat. He looked around then, and saw outside the window, a vase with a camellia, an azalea, and a white hyacinth in it, - _Ino,_ he guessed. – a basket of fruit, and a chair that someone had probably been sitting in until just a short while ago. Then he noticed a watch sitting on the chair, with the face of it directed at him. It was troublesome, but he could just barely make out the time: 12:11. It was light out, so it must be in the middle of the day.

He was tired. _Maybe I shou__ld just go back to sleep, and see what happens. Or maybe I'll stay awake for a short while, and then someone will come in and tell me what's happened and how long I've been unconscious and all that relevant stuff._

He debated his possibilities for a while, but in the end, he decided he would stay up for a while and see who came. _I wish I had a shogi board or something. _

He was just drowsing off to sleep when the door to the room quietly slipped open and a figure cloaked in red came in. He snapped awake and focused on the person. _Damn these medicines, they make it hard to focus and everything fuzzy ._The person had a white had with a red squarish shape on the front. Some character was in black, on the red. _Oh. It must be Naruto. What a drag._

"You're awake, then, Shika?" Naruto deduced.

"Barely. Woke up at about ten after noon." The Nara replied. "Wish I'd been able to play some Shogi."

The Hokage chuckled. "I'd play, really, if I weren't afraid of you getting worked up about how I'm the first to visit after you wake up. That would kill me."

Shikamaru sighed. "No, having to look ahead enough steps would. Your punishment for being first is telling me all the answers to my questions. You know, like was I having issues breathing and that's what this troublesome mask is on my face, if I've been poisoned and that's what the needle in my neck was for, why I was coughing so much, you know." The usually toneless voice of his, second only to Sai's, was filled with irritated confusion. "Who went to get the Kage-jutsu Found Ones?"

Naruto looked away. "And in what order do you want them answered?"

"Oh, just tell me."

"Okay, in order from first to last. You _were_ having issues breathing, and that's what the mask is for, yes, you were poisoned, and the needle was to hit a nerve center and pressure point, thank Senju it missed, and you were coughing because of the poison, it was destroying your cardiac tissue, and making your lungs deflate and bleed. And your dad actually went to get the Kage-jutsu Found Ones. He's already back." Naruto took a deep breath. "One was found. He died. He looked a lot like you, actually. Scared half the people who knew you had been poisoned. Made them think you would die, too. The whole bad omen thing." He laughed, a sharp, bitter laugh. "Just do me a favor and don't die. Hinata would never get over it. I'm sure that Kushina, Asumite, and Sakate would swear revenge and call vendettas. So would your family. It would be so…" His face was troubled.

Shikamaru grimaced. "…Troublesome." He finished. "I agree. How long have I been out? It would be less troublesome to know."

"Um, about… 36 hours or so. It was a nasty poison. Not sure who threw the needle, though. It wasn't Konoha-made."

Shikamaru flushed red. _Damn, I must have really been out of chakra and stamina, if I took that long to wake up._ "What a drag," he muttered. "My team wasn't even there. I was under a genjutsu, I think. I thought that my team were there and I was talking to them. But when I broke the jutsus, they weren't there. Ino saw me go down and came and helped, and she said I was on my knees coughing for about ten minutes, and that none of my team had ever been there." He halted, suddenly racked by a fit of coughing. "I guess that I still have coughs."

At Shikamaru's coughing fit, Naruto bit his lip. He looked concerned, but felt entirely helpless. "They've had you on some medication or another, actually. I bet that one was in your food or water or something to make you stop coughing. I should really get a nurse to replenish the medication or whatever." He gestured toward the empty bag on the I.V. drip. "But I've heard that you ought to be better by Wednesday- five days from now."

The Nara moaned. "I hate . They're so troublesome." He sighed, tired. "You should probably get a nurse, nobody thought to stay or leave a call button."

Naruto nodded, put on his Hokage hat, but waited. "Do you want anything else? A Shogi board?"

Shikamaru flopped down on the pillow again. "Sure, if you have one on hand. But no, I don't want anything else. Bye, Naruto."

The Nanadaime nodded, then turned around, heading for the door. He opened and closed it quietly, so that the only thing the Jonin heard was his quiet footsteps and the wheels whining on the tracks of the door as it slid shut, leaving the disabled genius to his thoughts. _My only remaining question is who left the flowers__. Was it really Ino? Or was it the team? They must be really upset that we didn't go. I wonder how long it'll take them to forgive me. _He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn't notice the nurses enter the room until one was pulling out the needle from his arm and the other removing the breathing mask from his face.

He started, surprised. _Hey, look, the needle's out of my arm. Oh, and my mask's off, now, too. _The one who had removed the mask was sitting him up. He complied, and just sat there for a moment. "Hey…Who's been leaving flowers? Has my team been here?" he asked quietly.

"Um, I don't know who left flowers, but are your team Yūhi Asumite, Uzumaki Kushina, and Sakate?" the one who had removed the needle inquired.

"Yeah, they are."

The nurse who had spoken, a woman with light blue hair and brown eyes, giggled nervously. "I heard that they were banned for a while, because they were causing too much of a ruckus. You see, when you were first brought in, the Yūhi girl was yelling and shouting about some ANBU-nin taking you here after shooting you with a poisoned needle. Yamanaka Ino gave her a good clout around the head saying she must have a genjutsu on her, because she certainly wasn't ANBU and she had brought you in. Kushina-sama was trying to keep her from coming at Yamanaka-domo and Sakate-kun was trying to keep them both out of the room. Actually, I think Sakate is still allowed in, right, Yuki?" She addressed the boy that had removed his mask, an older boy that must have been 18 or 19. He was silent, he only nodded his head. "Sorry about that, Shikamaru-san, he's mute. Or at least, he never talks."

Shikamaru nodded at the boy, Yuki, before resuming his thoughts. "Can you let then back in, just for me to tell them I'm awake and sorry and that?"

The girl looked at Yuki, and he nodded. "Actually, I don't have authority for that"—Shikamaru's face fell—"but I can ask my superiors. Oh, and if you need anything, ask for Rina and Yuki." Cleaning up, she and Yuki headed out the door. A few moments later, she poked her head back in the door. "Don't get up, but do you want something to eat?"

"Do you have mackerel cooked with miso?" She nodded. "Then that, please."

She nodded again and backed out the door.

A few hours later, he had had his mackerel and miso and taken another nap, thankfully not coughing. _They probably _did _use __cough medicine in the food. Sneaky little medics._ The nurse from before, Rina, had just come in telling him that Asumite, Kushina, and Sakate were on their way to his room. He was sitting up, mentally preparing himself—Asumite was probably going to be loud and obnoxious. He decided he was going to joke it off, that seemed to work for Kekkashi. He smiled, he could hear the trio walking down the hall, talking to each other. They paused, then the door quietly slipped open.

Sakate was the first to enter the room. He swiftly approached the bedside, smiling. "I'm so glad you're awake! Mom was worried, even! She said it was the same poison as some guy used like 15 years ago, and he's dead, so she was really confused. Something like…Sasoke? Anyway, she's the one who got the poison out of your system. She said it was really nasty." Sakate took a breath. "She said that she got it out of the Kazekage's brother on a mission to save the Kazekage himself."

Shikamaru's smile disintegrated. "Sasori? Is that the name?" _Damn, that's some old poison. Sasori's been dead for years. __Thank Senju she had some antidote on hand._

"Yeah! Sasori! You're a genius!" Sakate's eyes were lit up in admiration.

"Yeah, actually, I am. Who's you bribe to get in here, you three were kicked out, right?"

Sakate grinned. "Mom pulled some strings."

"So did Daddy! He said you were awake," Kushina quipped. "I'm glad."

Asumite hunched her shoulders and looked away. "There's an ANBU outside the door," she muttered. "Good to see you're ok."

Shikamaru laughed. "What did you _DO?_ Come screaming that Ino was poisoning me?"

"Actually, yes. I saw Ino-senpai shoot you from one of the trees, then come down and help you. She didn't even have any team with her." Asumite growled. "Probably wanted you to fall in love with her, thinking she saved your life."

The Nara narrowed his eyes. "Ino would try to get my attention, but she would never try to poison me, Asumite. Got it? She doesn't have the guts. And I would have noticed her, I've known her and her chakra signature, I can pick it up anytime. She wasn't even in the vicinity."

"I don't care..." _Gee, nice to see you, too. Not like I almost died or anything._ "…But you were still under a genjutsu when you got here. Your subconscious knew who it was—You were calling 'Ino' Temari. It was Sabaku no Temari who took you here, not Yamanaka Ino."

"Make up your mind. First you say it really _was_ Ino, and now you say it was Temari."

"After I noticed you calling her Temari, I broke the genjutsu again. It was Temari."

Shikamaru said nothing. But Kushina did. "Asumite, what's wrong with you? He just woke up! Didn't we say that we wouldn't tell him until he got out?"

Sakate was suddenly between the two. "Kushina. BACK UP. No Juuken allowed in here. Asumite, knock it off. He woke up a few hours ago, and we said that we would tell him after he got out. We aren't saying that you're wrong, or that you cast the genjutsu, but SHUT YOUR TRAP. Your dad is probably turning in his grave." He sighed and turned to the hospitalized Nara, who had assumed his thinking position. "I'm sorry for this, sensei.

"These two have been at each other's throats since you were put in here. Can you see why they were kicked out?" Not giving him time to answer, Sakate continued. "It's true, though, sensei. It was Temari who brought you here, however, I think it was someone entirely different who poisoned you, based off what you said about Yamanaka-sensei's chakra. Probably some assassin who managed to get a hold of some really old poison once used in the desert. If you'd like, we can leave."

Shikamaru nodded. "Thanks, Sakate. Say thank you to Sakura for me, too, please."

The dark-pink-haired boy nodded, then shoved the two ahead of him out the door. He came back in for a moment, just to wave goodbye, then shut the door behind him. He could be heard growling at his teammates, and them speaking quietly in reply. Shikamaru sighed. _Thank Senju I have a smart one on my team. Definitely takes after Sai and Sakura. Pretty calm kid, most of the time. Good thing he has the power and skill to back himself up._ The jonin sighed again, lay down, and eventually fell asleep again.

* * *

**A/N: Kinda of boring, kind of confusing, but it's kind of important to the story, heh.**

**~Tsubaki**


	6. The New Mission!

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while, guys! But this is a sort of funny chapter, so I hope it's okay!**

* * *

Shikamaru did indeed get out of the hospital on the next Wednesday, much to his pleasure. The time had passed with daily visits from friends and family (and students), mostly without any major developments. He was still tired, but that wasn't new for him. He was usually tired. His hair was back tied up in his usual pineapple-leaf style. He had his underarmor, pants and shoes on, and he had his flak jacket draped over his arm, ready to head out the door, as Naruto had already reclaimed the shogi board. He yawned, shoved his hands in his pockets, and without another glance left the room. As he exited the hospital, he was struck by the serenity and warmth of the normal world. Hospital air was so sterile and tense and…Harsh. Not Shikamaru's favorite atmosphere. He inhaled deeply, relishing the natural feel.

He strolled down the street, watching the sky. The roads were rather clear and wide, so he never bumped into someone. He made his way home, to his small apartment where he'd moved out. Removing his shoes, he stepped inside. It was quiet, and lonely. He hadn't really noticed just how lonely and barren it really was. _Sheesh. Makes me wonder if I really should get a girlfriend. _He paused for a moment, looking around his house, at the clean floors of the living room and kitchen, clean counters, and tidy desk.

Then he proceeded to his room, where a number of things resided, from clothing to small trinkets gathered by Asumite for him, back when she was a very small child. From little colorful pebbles to dried flowers to shells, he had a small collection of objects placed around his room, catching sun, illuminating spots on his walls, and glowing iridescent. He smiled fondly, remembering when the child had first run up to him, a camellia clenched in her hand, one winter years ago, when it had snowed, dusting the village a powdery white. The children had been fascinated by the cold orbs of frozen water, playing in them with glee. Asumite had run up to him with the little white camellia, her teeth chattering. He had kept it, just for her. It had held up quite nicely, hardly changing color, on his window sill, looking eternally white as the snow from that winter.

Over on his dresser, where he used to place the chakra blades and lighter from Asuma, was a little freshwater pearl. She had been just as ecstatic about the pearl, having found it under a rose bush. She was delighted after he told her that oysters took years to make pearls and if you placed them just so, they would reflect light. He told her that they were used for jewelry, and that real wild ones were very rare. She had been amazed that there were layers and they could be dyed. _  
_

He gazed around, lingering on each small trinket, remembering the little child who had given each and every one, as she grew up. His eyes settled on the last one, most recent, given to him for his birthday. It hadn't been some shiny thing that she had discovered out on a mission. It had actually been a present she bought for him while on an errand out of town for the Hokage. It was a small jade doe. She had picked well, this doe was beautifully carved. It seemed poised to run.

Eventually, the man remembered what he was doing. He tossed the flak jacket onto his bed, and flopped down onto it after it. He sat up long enough to remove his shirt, and then promptly lay down once more. He rolled over to lie on his side, and watched the clouds float by out his window. He was laying there, drowsily letting his thoughts wander, staring blankly at the darkening sky, still, when he realized that he was hungry, and someone was knocking, no, banging, on his front door. He jerked in surprise. _How long have they been there?_ He sat up, blinking, and grabbed a t-shirt out of his drawer. Pulling it on, he stood up and went to the front door. Rubbing his eyes, he opened the door, to find a rather aggravated looking ANBU about to bang the door again, only stopping his fist an inch from Shikamaru's nose. "Hello, Uma-san." The Nara appeared unperturbed by the fist an inch from his nose. "Would you like to come in?"

The ANBU with the horse mask nodded, stepping in. Shikamaru closed the door. "Nara-san, we have received information on Yakushi Kabuto. It is presumed that he is the one creating the Found Ones. The Hokage has decided that Yamanaka Ino's and your teams will be the teams to investigate this information. You and Yamanaka Ino must meet with the Hokage tonight at seven."

Shikamaru nodded. "Yes sir. And, Yamato-taichou, you needn't call me Nara-san, even if you're in your uniform- we know each other, and you _are_ my superior." He smirked. "Thank you for the message, sir."

"No problem, Shikamaru. Just make sure you're there on time." With that, Yamato turned to go.

"Yamato-taichou? Why are you back? I thought you were supposed to be with Sai with the Found Ones."

"I am." Yamato left.

* * *

Understanding Yamato's words didn't take long. _That was a Wood Clone, eh? Pretty good._ He took his time to go, knowing he needn't worry unless his shower would take over an hour. He peacefully showered and redressed, then slipped his wallet into his pocket, tied his hair up for the second time that day, and sighed. _Such a troublesome job, being a Jonin. _He shrugged on his flak jacket and slipped on his shoes. Taking one last look around, he narrowed his eyes. _Yakushi Kabuto, huh? This is __going to__ be a hellish mission._ He shook his head, and then walked out the door.

He was early. He ended up waiting outside Naruto's office for ten minutes before Ino showed up. "Shika-kun! Are you okay? How's your neck?" she wasn't hesitant to start talking-rather loudly- about how she'd been so worried about him when she'd heard that he had been shot with an old deadly poison. He tried to tune her out with growing irritation.

"Ino. Shut. Up. Right now." She broke off in shock. He usually wasn't the kind of person to say something so abruptly. "I don't need you rambling about that, okay? I'm already annoyed that I got hit. More so that I was under a genjutsu." He looked away. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I just have a lot on my mind."

She nodded, and then sat down against the wall. She bowed her head and crossed her arms. "It's okay, Shika, but I really _am_ glad you're alright." The next ten minutes passed rather quietly, both of them wallowing in their thoughts, until a loud rumbling started to shake the building. The two were instantly on their feet, tense and poised for action, and a split second later, the door to Naruto's office exploded in a cloud of dust and smoke and a figure slammed into the wall opposite. The wall cracked, leaving a large dent in it, and the figure slumped to the floor. Shikamaru and Ino blinked, clearing the dust from their eyes, and struggled not to laugh as they saw it was Naruto himself, and Hinata was storming out of the cloud, Byakugan eyes flaring. Ino was choking on laughs, and one escaped her lips. Hinata spun around.

"Oh, Ino-san, Shikamaru-kun, I didn't notice you two!" She was instantly the quiet woman most people knew, blushing and timidly poised. "Naruto was just being crude, sorry about that. I think your meeting may be cancelled, or at least postponed." Her Byakugan hadn't lost its fire, however. She spun around, back to her husband. "NARUTO!" she roared. "I'LL KILL YOU!" The man had attempted to crawl away, bruised and battered. She had noticed this, and was now stomping after him. At this point, Ino was outright laughing her head off, and Shikamaru was laughing quietly.

Naruto had proceeded to absolutely panic. "Don't kill me, Hinata-chan! I didn't mean it like that!" he screamed. This didn't help her temper.

"LIKE HELL, NARUTO!" Deafening laughter could be heard from all over the building.

"No, no, no! NOT GENTLE FIST!"

"GENTLE FIST!" Naruto could be heard screaming. The laughter only grew louder.

* * *

The meeting ended up being postponed until the following morning, which gave the pair time to talk and eat dinner before parting ways. He stayed up for a while checking his ninja tools, making a mental note of what he needed more of, and then he changed into his pajamas and crawled into bed. He lay awake for hours trying to figure out what he would do with his life. _I should probably get a girlfriend, at least, but that's so troublesome. _His thoughts pestered him until the small hours of the morning, when he finally fell asleep.

He slept fitfully, having nightmares and strange dreams that he couldn't remember upon waking. Something about camellias and suns. He sat up, eyes still closed. The early morning beams of sun warmed his face, and a small draft from a crack in the floor chilled his bare back. He sat there, mind blank, taking pleasure in the warming calmness. After a few minutes, he sighed and opened his eyes. His olive green room was illuminated by the weak sunlight, and he watched the dust motes float in the rays. The morning was quiet outside. At long last, he stood up, and walked over to the window and thrust it open. In the street below, shinobi were going about getting their breakfasts and some materials, meeting other shinobi in preparation to leave on missions. He leaned on the sill, smelling the breakfast odors in the small breeze. He reached his hand out the window and caught a passing feather, downy fluff, presumably from a thrush or sparrow's nest on his roof. He looked at the feather, brownish gray, and then released it back in the gentle wind. Civilians were talking and chatting, storekeepers opening and setting up, calling to each other in the street. He basked in the normality and peacefulness, then stood up straight again, and went to take a shower and start his day.

After he'd cleaned up and gotten dressed, he charged out his door, rather energetically for a Nara, and speedily locked it, shoving the key in his pocket. _Crap, I'm going to be late! _He ran down the street, quickly stopping to buy some snacks and dango. He ran over to Sakura and Sai's house and knocked on the door. Sakura opened it, wiping her hands on a white apron over her red tank top, and smiled. "Shikamaru?"

"Hey, Sakura, you like dango, right? Here, have some, enjoy, gotta go, late for a meeting, bye!" He shoved the box of dango into her hands and turned and ran to the Hokage building, leaving a surprised Sakura with a box of dango in her hands.

"Huh? Shikamaru! What?" she called after him, confused. He only waved at her behind his back, still running to Naruto's office. _Cripes, damned water took so long!_ He made it to the Hokage's office in record time, skipping the stairs altogether and jumping straight to the door inside. He speedily walked to the office, where Ino was only just being let inside. _Thank Senju, I made it. _He sighed. _Slept in too long, and didn't make it to the ninja supply store. _

Ino looked at the panting Jonin, so rarely late, and laughed. "Shikamaru, what have we told you? Get an alarm clock, crazy!" She patted him on the back, and dragged him into Naruto's office, still panting. Naruto laughed and pulled out a chair for the gasping Shikamaru.

"Oh shut it, Ino, you don't have room to complain, you were always last," he wheezed. "And you didn't just run from Sakura and Sai's house."

She laughed again. "Why were you at their house?" She put her hands on her hips, smirking. "She's married, Shika," she jokingly added.

"Ino, you're disgusting." He jokingly slugged her arm. "And besides, I was just giving her dango as thanks for healing me. Honestly, Ino, you're such a romantic." He snickered. "And if you're so good and married, why do you keep flirting with me?"

She gasped. "Shikamaru! You're so mean!" The pair would have continued if Naruto hadn't cleared his throat threateningly.

"Can we begin yet?" His arms were crossed, eyes narrowed, and he was leaning back in his chair behind his desk. "Because I'm fairly certain that you came for a meeting on Yakushi Kabuto, whom we have learned may be behind the Found Ones, and you two may possibly be rather interested in it, or so we thought." The pair had silenced instantaneously upon his first words, piping down like intimidated first graders, watching Naruto.

"Sorry, Naruto." Shikamaru shoved his hands in his pockets once more and slouched over in his chair.

The Hokage nodded. "So here's the deal, guys, Kabuto, that slimy bastard, used some of Orochimaru's DNA and inserted into his arm or something, you know, that white snake crap, and now he's pretty much an Orochimaru Junior, with healing powers. Yakushi has a lab thing like the snake's, and he's creating all sorts of monsters. He's gotten hold of poisons and that stuff from decades ago.

"This is an A- or B- rank mission, you two. It will not be your usual teams on this mission. You two are both captains, and you will be working with another jonin and two chuunins each. You will work as an 8-man platoon. Ino, the other jonin on your team is Shino, and Shikamaru, you have Kiba. Ino's chuunins are Agata Kaito and Sarutobi Konohamaru. This, by the way, is Konohamaru's last mission as a chuunin- keep a watch about how he acts. Shikamaru, you have Moegi and Udon, Konohamaru's co-horts back when they were in the Academy and genins. The three work together well, as a result, but often question judgment, and have been known to disobey occasionally. Agata Kaito is a civilian ninja, and he doesn't talk much. He's good at anything but genjutsu, and he summons. He summons a…"He looked at a paper on his desk. "He summons an eagle. It's not a boss summon, but it still fights." He looked up, at the two jonins thinking about strategy. He pulled out a map of the Land of Rice Paddies and unfurled it, holding down the corners with small clay fox paperweights.

Ino and Shikamaru came closer to the desk and inspected the map closely. Naruto placed a finger on the map, on a small music note. "That's Otogakure. But Yakushi isn't there." He moved his finger to a spot in the mountains, near a plateau. "He was seen going underground around this area. Your mission is to capture him. Kill him, if you must, but _bring him back here._" His voice had taken on a malicious tone. "Destroy his laboratory." The jonins nodded.

"When do we leave?" Shikamaru asked.

"When do you think?"

"Tomorrow morning's kind of early, isn't it?" Ino pointed out. Shikamaru shot her a grateful look.

Naruto slammed a fist down on the table, shaking the windows. "No! Yakushi Kabuto is the only person anyone can think of who could possibly create the found ones, and he's causing trouble for everyone, and on top of that, he's an S-rank missing-nin! We have to get rid of him as soon as possible! Which means leaving as soon as possible!" he snarled.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru growled. "If we leave as soon as tomorrow morning, then we won't have as much chakra, which lowers our chance of survival. True, we have some pretty damned strong jonins on our team, but we also have chuunins, and disobedient ones at that! Damn it, give us at least three to prepare, or this mission's going to fail!" He must have argued his point rather well, because Naruto unclenched his fist and sat back down.

The Nanadaime sighed. "Sorry, guys, it's just been bugging me, I thought we wouldn't have to deal with another slimy snake bastard. I figured he'd already died, years ago."

Ino walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "It's alright, Naruto, we all know you're stressed. We can't blame you, but Shikamaru does have a point. We'll have a higher success rate if we wait a couple days."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, okay. You guys are leaving three days from now, but that means you _have_ to succeed." The jonins nodded. "I'll meet you at the east gate that morning. Dismissed."

"Yes, sir." They left.

* * *

**A/N: Wasn't that funny for a bit there? ^-^ And bwahaha~ Yeah, Shikamaru and Hinata are a bit different from the series, and I did this on purpose. Hinata, being married to Naruto, has _got_ to become a little short-tempered sometimes, and Shikamaru's lazy still, too lazy to have a girlfriend yet, so I decided to give him a little more personality still. 3 I hope you like it!**

**-Tsubaki  
**


	7. Encounter: The White Snake!

Three days later, the platoon had acquainted themselves with each other, training in formations and discussing knowledge gathered on Kabuto, Orochimaru, and previous tactics. They were all up early, prepared to go, and at the east gate, waiting for Naruto to come and give them whatever information he'd been concealing for the past three days. Even Shikamaru was there, watching the clouds while the Konohamaru Corps chatted, gangly, red-haired Kaito occasionally joining in. Kiba and Ino were having a heated debate, Akamaru occasionally chipping in with insults similar to Kiba's, watching Shino collect bugs out of the corner of his eye. Just when Shikamaru was hoping he would fall asleep, there was a loud bang and everyone started.

A cloud of smoke announced Naruto's arrival, quite loudly.

The Hokage looked around at the assembled shinobi as they formed a semicircle around him. Seeing that all eight, plus Akamaru, were there, he cleared his throat. "Yakushi Kabuto has used white snakes to attack people encroaching on the area. That's actually what tipped us off to his presence- Orochimaru used to use them. These snakes have a poison that slowly immobilizes you. I don't know the details, but Moegi and Kaito MUST be kept safely out of their reach. There is _one _antidote for each of you, including you, Akamaru-" the nin-ken nodded "-but the catch is, each antidote is only activated by Moegi's or Kaito's medical chakra. It's a rather new thing, actually, we're seeing how well it works. The immobilization works slowly, except for where it hits you. That area is almost immediately cut off from your chakra network and immobilized. I'm deadly serious when I say that if say, your hands are hit by it, someone could put them in a guillotine and cut them off, and if you were blindfolded, you _wouldn't feel a thing. _So don't get poisoned. They hide. An ANBU team discovered their weak spot. You have to get them in the head. A hole blown straight through will kill them. They said that they were strange but they couldn't put a finger on it." Naruto paused, waiting for questions. He was quickly met with one from Konohamaru.

"Nee-san, where do they hide?"

He shrugged. "We don't know, we haven't found connections. There don't seem to be any. Not that there aren't any." The blond jinchūriki shifted his weight and closed his eyes. "You're going to be close to the zone where all the Found Ones are, and therefore near the squad that Sai's leading. You'll stop there before going in, and you'll rest there before returning." The squad nodded. Naruto held up a hand, opening his eyes, and an ANBU that probably only Akamaru had known was there appeared from a tree somewhere behind Naruto. He handed a bag to Naruto and backed away silently. The Hokage reached inside the pouch and pulled out a handful of capped syringes with a red fluid inside them. "This is the antidote for the venom. It'll turn into a greenish brown when it's activated. You have to inject it where the venom was, or else it won't work. Got it, everyone?" The shinobi nodded.

Naruto passed the syringes to Moegi and Kaito, and described the route they would take. They would pass through the area that Sai and his team were stationed, and were to stay a night there before and after going to the hideout. With a final check and farewell, the platoon of shinobi was on their way to the Land of Rice Paddies.

* * *

The team stopped at the makeshift hospital-dojo-house that the team of elite shinobi consisting of Sai, Yamato, Yoni, a Yamanaka clan member, and Tema, a civilian ninja, like Sakura. The twelve of them had a long conversation, only sending the genins to sleep and the young chuunins an hour or so later. The jonins quickly switched the conversation to darker topics concerning the next day and the Found Ones. Shikamaru and Ino were told that there weren't any new Jane or John Does with their clan's powers. No people had shown up with the traits of the Inuzuka or Aburame clans. The six jonin formed a circle around a small oil lamp in the center of a room and made sure that it was secure from any prying eyes or ears.

Sai sat down last. "The thing about Yakushi Kabuto's laboratory is that it's protected. I ran into one of the things protecting it yesterday, and it's a white snake. Naruto told you?" The shinobi nodded. "Has it reached him as to what it is yet?" Heads were shaken. "It's _rice._" Dubious looks were shared among the shinobi as they pondered this fact.

"How the hell are we supposed to defeat animated rice?" Shino had to ask. "You expect my bugs to eat it or something?" Akamaru lifted his head and sniffed at Shino's shoulder, probably hearing the bugs inside him buzz with contempt. Kiba glanced at Akamaru, before turning to Sai.

"What kind of rice? Does it reanimate itself if you 'kill' it?" He seemed to be taking this seriously, which was kind of surprising. Sai shook his head, his dark hair flopping over his eyes.

"Shino, I think you ought to keep your bugs away from it. It actually ate my ink chimeras. And Kiba, it's made of white rice, and it was hiding in a rice paddy, and afterward, I noticed that the plants in it were gone. I think that it came from the rice plant and was fresh. I didn't see it come back alive, but I left right after I killed it." He paused to take a breath, and a thump was heard in a corner of the room, from the other side of the door. Akamaru and Kiba snapped to attention, facing the corner, Akamaru's fur bristling along his spine. Sai merely glanced in that direction. "Yamato-taichou, could you please check that?" The older shinobi obligingly got up and went to the door and slid it open. He stepped inside, sliding it shut behind him.

Shikamaru exchanged a look with Ino. "You don't seem very worried, Sai. What's in there?" He folded his hands together, resting his elbows on his thighs, and his chin on his hands.

The pale man froze, and emotion crossing his face, before resuming his usual indifferent and emotionless semblance. "Patients," he said nonchalantly, waving it off. "One of them probably had a nightmare or something." Shikamaru and Ino shared another doubtful look, but neither asked anything more. "Anyway," he continued as Yamato re-entered, "The only way you can kill it is by getting a straight shot all the way through the snake, head to tail. It's pretty damned hard to do, given how they like staying coiled up pretty much always." He laughed wryly. "Took me an hour to get it straight. I ended up slapping an explosive tag on its head, and after the explosion, it just sat there for about two minutes, straight as a board. Good thing, too, because it had bitten me and I could only move one arm," he said, gesturing to the bandage on his left arm. "Damn snake probably knew I'm left-handed."

This drew laughter from the shinobi around him, and he blushed.

"Don't worry, man, I bet you'll be okay after a drink," Kiba laughed, slapping an arm around Sai's shoulder. Ino rolled her eyes.

"Sai's not really a drinking sort of guy, remember?" Ino reminded the group. "We figured that one out a couple years ago at a New Year's party."

Shikamaru smiled, remembering it. They'd invited the whole rookie nine (Minus Sasuke, thank Senju he was dead), Kakashi, and Yamato, plus Sai. They'd intended Sai and Sakura to get together, and that was why they'd done it. They'd gotten Sai drunk and told Sakura the wrong time, so that it would seem that she had come to his rescue. Which she did. She'd come in the door to Naruto's house and seen Sai hopelessly drunk, and he'd said without hesitation, 'Oh, look guys, my beautiful Sakura-chan is here,' then hiccupped. Loudly. She'd blushed scarlet, then said, 'And you're drunk, Sai. Come on, you're going home.' She'd then proceeded to take his arm around her shoulder, making him stand up, and walked him home, having issues since he couldn't put one foot in front of the other. They'd gone on their first date the next day. _It worked pretty well, for one of Ino's plans,_ he thought. Besides the fact that she'd come back over and hit all of them over the head. All but Hinata, because she hadn't had a say in it that Sakura knew of. She'd actually been the biggest supporter of the plan. Nobody had ratted on her because of her Juuken and that she was perfectly willing to use it.

"And Sakura would probably kill him if we got him to drink again," Shikamaru laughed. "She was close enough to killing us." The other ninja laughed with him, and Sai joined in.

"You're right; she probably would kill me, even if I wasn't drunk at all!" Sai said jokingly.

Yamato sobered the room by saying, "Too bad Tsunade-sama couldn't have been there. She would have enjoyed it, despite Jiraiya-sama's death." The ninja in the room respectfully quieted down at the mention of the two late respected Sannin. A few minutes passed, and then Sai stood up and faced the corner where the thump had sounded from previously.

"You guys have to go to the base tomorrow?" Shikamaru nodded. "We should probably all get some sleep then, huh." The four jonin-and one ninken- stood and nodded, silently heading off to where the platoon was sleeping for the night.

Shikamaru lingered, however. "Sai."

The ninja turned to the Nara. "Shikamaru."

"Why won't you tell us who are really in there?"

"Because they wish to remain hidden."

"And they are?"

In response, the sliding door slammed open and a child came barreling out toward Shikamaru. It wrapped its arms around his leg and simply stood there, saying nothing. He stood there, not knowing what to do, and then peeled the kid's arms away from him, holding its small hands in his tenderly. Kneeling down, he looked at the kid, who was, in fact, a girl, and said quietly and gently, "Hi there, what's your name?" The girl flushed, and her brown eyes widened when she saw him. She shook her head, pink lips pressed together, and her short, short brown hair waved back and forth. Her ears were already pierced and had small silver loop earrings in them. She was wearing a dirty and battered cream (or some color like it under the dirt) shirt and a pair of brown shorts. She was barefoot, and she seemed to be fine with it.

"She doesn't talk much," Sai said, and he crossed his arms exasperatedly. "But apparently she likes you more than your dad. And your mom hasn't been out here, so she hasn't met your mom yet. She's a Jane Doe, but she seems to be Nara."

The little Jane Doe got up on her tiptoes and put her lips next to Shikamaru's ear conspiratorially. "I like flowers," she whispered, then giggled as she got down on the flat of her feet again.

He smiled, taking on a whole new personality and leaning in to her, and whispered equally conspiratorially, "I like deer." She giggled and turned to Sai.

"I like him, Mister Sai! He's nice." She chirped happily. "Can I go with him?"

Sai shrugged. "That depends on him." She rounded on the genius, and he shrugged too.

"I'm not going home tomorrow, you know. I have a job to do, Jane," he said apologetically. "But on my way back, maybe, okay?" She stuck out her bottom lip, and crossed her arms, reminding him of Sabaku no Temari when she was impersonating some small child. He smiled. "I'll at least come back for a while; you can count on that, okay?"

That seemed to cheer her up, because she smiled triumphantly and nodded, and darted back to the room where she'd been. Sai followed after her, waving over his shoulder. He paused for a moment. "She's got you wrapped around her finger now, Shikamaru." Then he continued into the other room, shutting the door behind him.

"What a drag." He turned and left the room.

* * *

Shikamaru didn't see the Jane Doe the next morning when they left for the base. He shrugged it off and without a backward glance, the platoon left.

There were no bumps, no dilemmas, and the group reached the clearing outside the base with dignity and in silence, kunai and shuriken at the ready. With hand signals, the plan was made clear; Moegi and Udon were to make their way around the side of the clearing to the right and wait outside the door of the underground lab (because it was clearly one of Orochimaru's old ones), Konohamaru and Kaito to the left, and Shino above, while Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba, and Akamaru were to stay in front. There was no rice paddy in front, so the jonin had no issue.

Suddenly, there was a _loud_ explosion, and Moegi screamed. Udon was halfway across the clearing, down in the mud, and through the smoke and dust, a large figure of something _quite _flexible was silhouetted, and holding something squirmy and probably female. "Moegi!" Udon shouted.

"Snaaaaake!"

* * *

**A/N: I decided that my story won't work if everything's entirely canon, so Shikamaru's a bit nicer and more open, Sai's not so cryptic, just stubborn, and well, Konohamaru's... Konohamaru. xD**

**Review please!  
**


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